Project Grant K22CA303784
- The National Cancer Institute awarded MD Anderson Cancer Center $669,540 on July 1, 2026, under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to elucidate the roles of the CD24 ligand in early lung cancer development, immune evasion, and response to KRAS-targeted therapy. The research investigates CD24 signaling in KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinomas (KM-LUADs), which account for approximately 30 percent of lung adenocarcinomas in lifetime smokers. Preliminary findings indicate CD24 elevation...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center $671,740 on August 1, 2026, under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) to define biomarkers and overcome resistance to DLL3-targeting immune therapies in small cell lung cancer. The research focuses on understanding tumor-intrinsic and immune-related mechanisms of response and resistance to delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3)-targeting T-cell engagers, particularly following the FDA approval of...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center $150,404 on December 1, 2025, under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) to support research training and fellowship activities for individuals pursuing careers in cancer research. The award funds investigation of gut microbiome dysbiosis in lung adenocarcinoma development and progression. The research dissects how gut microbial changes, particularly those involving loss of LCN2 (an...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center $687,594 on July 1, 2026, under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to develop and characterize preclinical models of small cell lung cancer brain metastasis and evaluate therapeutic response. The recipient is conducting research to establish spontaneous brain metastasis models in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of small cell lung cancer. The work addresses a critical gap in SCLC research:...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center $131,933 on May 1, 2026, under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) to support spatial and functional profiling of tumor evolution trajectories and microenvironment interactions in VHL-driven renal cancers. The project applies spatially resolved transcriptomics, genomic engineering, and multi-omics methodologies to create a comprehensive spatial atlas of treatment-resistant clear cell renal cell...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research $752,280 on August 1, 2026, under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to decode basal cell multipotency as a precursor and therapeutic target in histological transformation across lung cancer subtypes. The award funds research into the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving adenocarcinoma transformation to small cell lung cancer or squamous cell carcinoma histology as a resistance mechanism...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center $141,195 on May 15, 2026, under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) to support a K99/R00 career development award focused on deciphering how tumor suppressor gene deficiencies modulate pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) response to oncogenic KRAS inhibition and immunotherapy. During the K99 mentored phase, the recipient will use isogenic patient-derived organoid and xenograft models to...
- The National Cancer Institute awarded the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center $645,865 on July 1, 2026, under Cancer Biology Research (CFDA 93.396) to investigate how perineural invasion in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma drives immunotherapy resistance through neuroimmune mechanisms. The research addresses the molecular pathway linking nerve invasion to tumor immune suppression. The project will investigate how activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3)-dependent transcriptional...
- The National Cancer Institute, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded $633,089 to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center on August 1, 2026, under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to investigate a novel cell stress response mechanism in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) that enables cancer cells to adapt to adverse microenvironmental conditions and evade immune surveillance. The research will identify and characterize immunotherapeutic...
- The National Cancer Institute, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston $635,948 on August 1, 2026, under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) to investigate phospholipase D1 (PLD1) and transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) as therapeutic targets in chromosome 3q-amplified non-small cell lung cancer. The project will define the mechanisms by which PLD1 promotes NSCLC progression and tumor microenvironment...
The National Cancer Institute awarded The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center $192,224 on September 1, 2026, under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) to support research on secreted peptides as biomarkers and effectors of neuroendocrine transformation in lung cancer. The funded work investigates pulmonary neuroendocrine cell (PNEC) biology and the histologic transformation of lung adenocarcinoma to small cell lung cancer. The research employs a genetically engineered mouse model of LUAD-to-SCLC transformation and single-cell sequencing to characterize the transition between these histologic types. In Aim 1, the recipient will chart tumor ligand–immune cell interactions over time and space using single-cell approaches in collaboration with computational biologists at Weill Cornell Medicine. In Aim 2, the recipient will use new mouse models of neuroendocrine transformation to capture and deeply characterize tumor-derived ligands shed throughout tumorigenesis, applying click-chemistry enrichment and mass spectrometry-based characterization, then employ CRISPR/Cas9-based gene disruption to study the effects of inactivating specific factors identified in the secretome. The award period runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029, with place of performance in Houston, Texas. The Cancer Research Manpower program supports biomedical training opportunities for individuals pursuing careers in basic, clinical, and prevention research relevant to the National Cancer Program.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $192.2k | 8/5/26 |